A second Chance
by Just Silence
Summary: Regulus had only dreamed of a second chance when he went to the cave to die. He hadn't expected to get it. He had never even imagined for his soul to end up in Lily Evans' muggle younger brother's body. Can he take his second chance to become a better person or will he not be able to cope? And when Harry comes, can he raise him with love? How different will Harry turn out?
1. Chapter 1

**A Second Chance**

 **This was a spur of the moment story, I hope you like it.**

 **DISCLAIMER: All the universe of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling**

 **Chapter 1**

 **15 November, 1979**

Regulus struggled weakly against the inferi, praying to some unknown deity that his death wouldn't be in vain, that somehow Kreacher would be able to destroy the horcrux. He lost consciousness slowly, knowing he had come prepared for this. Taking the dark mark had doomed him and even if he had come out alive, there would be nothing left to live for. He flailed his arms desperately trying to push the inferi off him. A piercing desire to atone for his mistakes, to make a positive difference in someone's life, enveloped him, even stronger than the desire not to go to hell. He had tortured and killed for the Dark Lord, even if each time he felt sick. He wasn't proud of his choices.

'You will get your second chance' he heard a whispered voice before he lost consciousness. He wondered what the voice meant vaguely before his world faded to black.

 **22 November 1979**

'Don't use that!' he heard a shrill voice, waking him abruptly. He wondered vaguely who it was, it didn't sound at all like the whispered voice he had heard. What had been that voice anyway? Probably just his desire talking. He wondered what the afterlife would be like.

'Maybe it will help him' he heard a vaguely familiar voice, and felt rather than saw the warm glow of a healing spell over his head. Wait what? What kind of afterlife would need a healing spell? Did that mean he wasn't dead? He struggled to open his eyes. They felt heavy, like there was a glueing spell on his lids. He could hear now shuffling and footsteps and the distinct sound of an argument between two women, so he had to be alive, didn't he? If he was dead wouldn't he be able to see and find a ghostly being welcome him to hell or something similar?

He opened his eyes slightly, making out a blurry figure with long blond hair. Was it Narcissa? The voice didn't sound like hers. Regulus felt himself go white with fear. If he had survived somehow, what would happen to him? He had been stupid enough to leave a note defying the dark lord because he was sure he was going to die. But if he found it he would torture and kill him, and probably make another horcrux to make up for the one he had stolen. Or even worse, order him to bring it back and hide it even better than before. Everything he had done would be for nothing. If Regulus was lucky the dark lord wouldn't check on his treasure, and Regulus would have to go back to his death eater days like nothing had happened, killing and torturing people who had done nothing to him, feeling sick with the look of each person seeing their loved ones be murdered. He wasn't sure he could live any longer that way. And he couldn't get away...he had tried searching for a way to sever the connection between his dark mark and the rest, in the most obscure texts he could find (which knowing the Black family library, were a lot) to no avail. They would be able to track him anywhere in the world as long as he had that mark. The only way to get out of the service was death. He could keep searching, hoping he wouldn't get killed before he achieved it.

'Willy, you are awake!' said the shrill voice again, and Regulus suddenly noticed he could see better than before and struggled to focus. A woman in a blond low ponytail was looking at him with clear tear-tracks on her face. She had sallow skin and a pinched face, with small blue eyes. She wasn't too ugly, but she wasn't anything special either. He wondered who he was and why his condition mattered so much to her. And had she called him Willy? Had she mistaken him for someone else?

'Where am I?' he managed through his dry throat, looking around slowly. He felt like he had been trampled by a hippogriff, though knowing he had just been drowned by inferi, he shouldn't have been surprised.

'Oh Willy!' she cried, her eyes feeling with tears. Regulus would have felt uncomfortable if he wasn't so confused and nearly dead. 'You and mom and dad had a car accident' she managed through her sniffles 'they...they didn't make it' she managed, her voice breaking. Regulus felt an unexpected compassion at that moment for the blond stranger. Her parents had just died. A year ago, he wouldn't have cared, but now he had seen too many children meet that same fate due to him. They had all looked the same. Like they couldn't process what was happening, their world ending so suddenly that it couldn't be real.

'I'm sorry' he said softly to the girl. He felt himself get slightly choked up at her obvious anguish, and looked at his hands, not able to hold her gaze. How many people, how many children, had he made feel like that? He had a paper around his wrist, and squinted to read it. It read William A. Evans. which sent his brain reeling, struggling to analyze everything he knew so far. The woman had called him Willy, so obviously she, and the other people in this place, thought he was this person. Why had they mistaken him? And where was this? The most similar place he had ever seen to this was St. Mungo's, so this had to be another hospital, which made sense considering that she was worried about losing him. It was the strangest hospital he had ever seen, and he was hooked up to at least three tubes for some reason. He had felt a healing spell earlier, so it must be some specialized centre in whatever his wounds had been, but that didn't explain why his identity was mistaken for this William person. What else had she said? Something about a car accident, and her parents dying. He had no idea what a car was, but mulling over the words he suddenly realized that the girl had said 'mom and dad' not something like 'my parents' that would indicate they had different parents. Did this girl think he was her brother? How could anyone confuse their own brother? Had she been in the accident with her parents too? Maybe she had gone crazy.

'You've been in a comma for a week, I was so worried we were going to lose you too' the girl told him seemingly calmer even though she was still crying. 'We had to have the funeral without you, but I'll take you to see them when the doctors say it's all right. You will live with Vernon and I now of course, so you won't be alone, don't worry' she told him compassionately. He barely had time to process her words when the door opened, and Regulus felt a flood of relief at seeing someone he knew, even if it was Evans, a mudblood Gryffindor who he had barely talked to at school. Would she be able to explain how he was alive and why this girl thought he was someone else? Was this the headquarters of the infamous Order of the Phoenix?

'William! You're awake!' Evans cried in relief, and Regulus felt his confusion mounting. How could it be possible that someone who had already known him didn't recognize him? 'I'm so relieved it worked, I know you don't like magic but you weren't getting better and I didn't know what else to do, I mean we already lost our parents and to lose you too…' she rambled, not making anything clearer for him. He scrambled to pick up anything useful. If he understood correctly, Evans had said 'our' parents which made it clearer that the other girl was her sister, and that they thought he was their brother for some reason, which was consistent with his bracelet, since it said his last name was Evans. At least the people who died had been muggles, though that wasn't much of a comfort. Even if muggles were inferior, Regulus had seen in the raids that they were still people.

'Good to know your freakishness can be good for something for a change' the other girl answered her snottily, acting extremely different from when she had been alone with him. There was outright hostility between the two. His brain tried to process what they were saying. Apparently Evans had used magic to cure him, though she seemed to think this William person didn't like magic, so he was probably a muggle, and this must be a muggle hospital, which explained the funny machines. And clearly the other girl didn't like magic either, since she had referred to it as freakishness. He wondered if Evans had always been treated like this by her family. It had to suck, being seen as a freak in both the muggle and magical world. For some reason he would have never thought muggles could have looked at magic with anything other than childish wonder, even having read about the witches' burnings in history class. Anyway, this still didn't make it clear why Evans didn't recognize him and thought he was her brother instead.

'Can you pass me a mirror?' he said to the girls, suddenly dreading it. The blonde took a small mirror from her purse and gave it to him with a puzzled look, and he struggled not to faint at his reflection. He had blond hair like the unknown girl, and his eyes were Evans' bright emerald green, his features also quite similar to hers. He was in someone else's body. He vaguely remembered the voice when he had been slipping into unconsciousness, talking about a second chance. Did that mean he was alive but now he was someone else? Had this William guy's soul died with his parents, and that was why Regulus had inhabited his body instead? Suddenly he felt his blood drain. If he was this boy, was he a muggle? How would he live without his magic?

'I know the scar looks bad' the blonde said soothingly taking the mirror back and running her hand through his hair 'but the important thing is that you are alive'. He suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable having a stranger doing such an intimate gesture. The last person who had done something similar was Sirius when they were about nine and ten years old.

'Honestly Petunia, the scar is probably the last thing on his mind' Evans scoffed, and Regulus grimaced, knowing it was 100% true. What did he care about a stupid scar when there was a possibility that he didn't have magic anymore? At least he now knew the blonde's name was Petunia.

'How would you know Lily?' Petunia replied scathingly 'it's not like you know either of us'. Regulus looked between the girls, filing Lily's name in the back of his mind. If by some magical fluke he was now their brother, it would be good to remember them.

'And who's fault is that?' Lily replied bitterly to her 'you two are the ones who avoid me and treat me like crap!' Regulus could see the hurt underneath the anger at the comment. It was a look he had often sported when talking to his own brother, though he had said far worse things.

'And why would we want to associate with a freak like you?' Petunia told her furiously 'our parents may have fallen for it but we are not fooled by your magic tricks! At least now we won't have to see you anymore!' Regulus looked at Petunia, shocked. She looked so different from when she was talking to him. He had never thought or cared at all about what Evans' home life was like, having barely known her, but if he had, he would never have imagined something like this. Apparently the boy he was now, William, also hated magic. How ironic. He would have to try and see if he still had it the second he was alone.

'Fine. I had thought you would look past it now that we are orphans, but I see that is not possible. I hope you have a good life, and I'm happy you are alive William'. She was holding back tears. 'I won't bother you in the future'. She disapparated instantly, leaving Regulus feeling hollow at her desperate last look, too reminded of the last time he had talked to Sirius.

'Honestly, the nerve of her, leaving like that!' Petunia exclaimed 'I'm glad we're rid of her' she said scathingly. He looked at her, wondering if she really felt that or if there was a part of her, like him when Sirius had left, that felt sad about parting from her sibling in such a way.

He wondered what would happen now, and what he would do. He had to see if he still had his magic as soon as possible. Now that he thought about it, ever since he had woken up, he had felt something intangible about him missing. What if that wasn't his old body, but his magic? He wondered if Kreacher would still answer to him. He needed to get rid of the horcrux as soon as possible. If he still had magic he would be able to do anything he wanted after he destroyed it. He would finally be free.

'Could you ask the healer when I can get out of here?' he asked Petunia, searching for an excuse to make her leave the room. She gave him a strange look, and he paled. Probably the muggle world didn't have healers, or if they did, they didn't call them that. Had Petunia realized he had used a wizarding word?

'Sure, I'll go figure out what we will need to do' she said amicably enough. She had probably thought he was just a bit confused. Would he be able to pass not remembering some things as a side effect of his accident?

'Kreacher' he called in the commanding tone he always used as soon as she left. Nothing happened. He tried to apparate to the other side of the room. He didn't need a wand for that, so this would definitely tell him if he still had his magic. He didn't. Not only he didn't move an inch, but he couldn't blame it on this body's inexperience with apparating. He would have at least felt the pull of his magic when attempting to do it if he still had it. He wondered if he could still do simple spells, and tried a wandless lumos. His father had taught that to him after his first year, telling him he would at least be able to see his surroundings if he found himself in a dangerous situation without his wand. Nothing happened. He didn't feel his magic flowing through his body. Now he knew what he was missing.

He put his head in his hands. What would he do now? He would have to live with this Petunia girl and adapt to the muggle world somehow, and pretend he was this William Evans person. She clearly hated magic with everything she had, and if she even suspected that he was actually a wizard or that he had somehow supplanted her brother she would leave him on the street. He could always go to Lily, he supposed, but if he was a muggle then living with a member of the order was the least safe thing he could think of. Also, she would be suspicious of him. Dumbledore or someone would probably do legilimency on him, and they would find out he was actually Regulus Black. They would never trust an ex death eater, even if he told them about the horcrux. He had been a slave and prisoner since he was sixteen. He didn't want to go through that again, and who could guarantee that the order would be better than the death eaters? From what he had seen of his brother and his friends, they weren't the most tolerant of different people, and they had an insane grudge against Slytherin.

He had had fantasies about suddenly waking up and having the solution to get rid of his dark mark, escape the death eaters and live as someone else completely, not hunted by anyone. Somehow, these fantasies had never included finding his soul in someone else's body, and much less having no magic. How could he even survive as Evans' muggle brother? The girl was part of the order, there was a good chance the death eaters would attack them to get to her. If they did, he would just die like he had planned to, Regulus decided trying to calm himself. He had been prepared for it after all.

Except, now that he was alive, he wanted to keep being that way. If he had survived it had to have been for something right? Even if it was just to atone for his sins by living like a muggle. While being a muggle had been among his worst nightmares when he was younger, now he didn't think it could possibly be worse than having to kill at someone else's beck and call. Still, it was pretty bad. What was he without his magic? It had been the only unquestionable fact about himself that he had ever known. What did muggles even do with their time?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **28 November, 1979**

'We are here' Petunia told him suddenly, startling him. He had been quietly analyzing everything that he needed to do. Petunia had seemed sympathetic about him changing schools after the beginning of the year, but Regulus thought that to be a great relief. He had been released from the hospital the previous day and gone back to what Regulus now knew was William's previous home with his parents to pack. William's three closest friends had come to see him, giving him condolences and seeming very forlorn about him leaving, telling him they would 'phone' whatever that meant. If Regulus had gone back to the same school he had no doubt the three teens would have noticed the differences and the lack of memory. Going to a new school he would have to pretend much less, only hiding his ignorance of the muggle world.

He had realized through his supposed old friends that William was fifteen, and that this was his GCE year, which Regulus had gathered were something like OWLs. He wondered how screwed up his results would be, knowing nothing about the muggle subjects. Still, they were just muggles. Whatever they learnt couldn't be that hard right? What worried him more was what he would do with his future afterwards. He couldn't imagine being happy with anything that didn't involve magic, even if before he hadn't been exactly sure what he wanted to do. His childish dreams had always involved following Voldemort's orders, like that would automatically make him happy, and by the time he got disenchanted by it he didn't really have any other option, so there was no point in dreaming about anything else.

'Great' Regulus replied feigning enthusiasm and looking curiously at his future house. It looked much smaller than Grimmauld Place and than any other of his friends' manors, with only two stories and limited width. All the houses in the street looked exactly the same, just like in Grimmauld, but they were quite better looking than the muggle houses in his old neighbourhood. They went inside to a small entrance hallway. To his right was an open space which apparently served as both living room and dining room, and to the left was the kitchen, which also had a small dining table. The stairs were right in front of him. It looked neat and much more welcoming than Grimmauld Place, with carpeted floor and cheery paintings, though it was definitely more cramped in terms of space than what he was accustomed to. 'No magic to expand spaces' Regulus thought derisively.

'We usually have our meals in the kitchen, we only use the table in the dining room when we invite guests' Petunia told him.

'You have a beautiful home' Regulus told her slipping back into his polite pureblood patterns. Petunia smiled proudly, so he guessed she didn't mind his comment. 'Where do I put my things?' he asked wondering where he would sleep.

'Umm, there's something I haven't told you' Petunia told him with a hesitant smile 'I'm pregnant. Only eight weeks, so we haven't told anyone yet, but we are saving the biggest room beside ours for the baby. I'll show you the other rooms you can choose from'.

'Congratulations' Regulus told her, figuring she must be happy. He wondered if a baby would be a good thing or a bad thing. Being the smallest of his cousins, he had never really interacted with a baby save for when one of his mother's friends brought one and all the ladies cooed over it. He would probably be more free to move around when Petunia was busy with the baby, so that could be a positive angle at least.

Petunia showed him a room he hadn't noticed to the other side of the living room. It was big enough, and there was a bathroom and shower beside it. According to Petunia, this was the loo they used when they were downstairs. The other room was on the second floor beside the room they were saving for the baby, the bathroom both rooms shared between them. This room was smaller. Regulus chose the room downstairs immediately. It was larger and he would get much more privacy. Plus, he was not about to share a bathroom with a baby. He lamented the lack of a private bathroom, having had one since Sirius had left. The last thing he wanted was to run into these muggles all the time.

'Why don't you get settled while I make some lunch' Petunia suggested 'we will need to enroll you in the new school tomorrow. I already talked to the best schools close to here and St. John's has vacancies, they said your records are good enough to have a place there and Leatherhead is only twenty minutes away' she told him more excitedly. Regulus made a vague sound of agreement and went to his room, assuming the school must be good by her reaction, not that that meant much. He wondered what he would have to learn. Probably useless things, if there was no magic involved. Still, he was grateful that Petunia seemed to like him, she had acted nothing but soft and kind with him since he had met her, an unforgettable contrast with her treatment of Lily. He had better do nothing to cross her, as he had already seen she could be quite vicious when she wanted to.

He unpacked slowly, examining William's things. The clothes were dreadful, the boy didn't have a single fine robe or cloak. Though from what he had seen so far, that wasn't usual muggle clothing. He would have to get used to a lot of different things. The books were more interesting, and if he read them they would probably help him understand the muggle world better. He looked at a poster curiously, of two lads with a ball between their feet. He had known muggle pictures didn't move, it was one of the few bits of muggle trivia he had learnt over the years, but it still surprised him. William had another poster of the same game, so he figured he must be a fan of the sport. He hung them up carefully and finished packing before he went to have lunch with Petunia and after settled down with a book. It was a novel about two lovers in a war with something called the nazis. He wondered if it was a real muggle war or fiction. He sighed. He had a lot to learn. He was grateful to be alive and free of Voldemort, but that didn't mean it was going to be easy.

The next day he woke up groggily to Petunia's knocking on his door. He called back, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of his sheets. This material was definitely not acromantula silk, and there were no charms on it to adjust the temperature. He went to the shower, fibbing with the taps, noticing how to open them to get the water to the temperature he liked. It was a little harder without magic, but not terribly difficult, he noted relieved.

'That's what you are wearing?' Petunia asked shrilly in horror as soon as he stepped into the kitchen. Anyone else would have probably backed at the noise, but she had nothing on Regulus' mother. He wondered what was wrong with his outfit. He had chosen a pair of blue scratchy pants that he had seen some students wearing on Hogsmeade weekends, a long sleeved t-shirt, a sweater and sneakers, which was basically what he had worn every day for the past week since it was what Petunia had brought him to the hospital. But then, he thought, he was going to get enrolled in a school. This was probably informal wear and he needed something more formal.

'What do you think I should wear?' he asked her earnestly, hoping she would be willing to help him. He had no idea what muggle formal wear was supposed to look like. Petunia sighed and he followed her to his closet, watching as she took out some different pants (dark gray and much less scratchy), a shirt and black shoes. He put them on noticing her tired look when she had left him. It probably wasn't easy for her to lose her parents and become a teenager's guardian in the space of a few weeks, all while dealing with a pregnancy.

'Thank you for helping me with everything' he told her as soon as he went back into the kitchen. Surprisingly, he meant it. Whenever he had heard stories about muggles they had been illiterate aggressive savages, but unsurprisingly, his parents' teachings had been inaccurate (At least in Petunia's case, Vernon seemed to fit the description well enough).

'How did you sleep?' Petunia asked him while she made breakfast. She used a lot of different machines he had never seen, and he paid close attention to avoid making anyone suspicious later. She got her food not only from the pantry, but also from a white big square. The stove was similar enough, though he still watched her in awe. He had never seen a human cooking before. She made it look easy.

'A little cold but well enough' he replied taking a seat and greeting Vernon, who grunted in reply through the newspaper.

'Did you use the bed warmer?' Petunia asked him in concern. Regulus looked at her stumped, not knowing what to say. Was this a typical muggle thing? Would it be too weird to not know how to use it? Would she be suspicious?

'No, I didn't find it. Can you show me after breakfast?' he asked her hoping that wasn't too ridiculous, and that she would focus more on his question than on his ignorance.

'Sure. I thought you still used those at home' she replied, looking at him a bit strangely. Still, she didn't seem to think it was a big issue, because she served eggs, bacon, toast and tea without further comment. Regulus sighed internally, relieved, reminding himself that she didn't have any reason to be suspicious. She didn't know he was someone different, and maybe she would chalk up whatever she found weird to him having an accident or simply being different to when she had last lived with him. According to what he had learnt yesterday, she had moved out when she married Vernon two years ago, so even if they had seen each other for holidays it wouldn't seem like he had suddenly changed. Still, he couldn't make too many mistakes. Apparently the muggle world was not as primitive as he had thought, having a lot of ways to replace magic. This shocked him greatly, but it also worried him. If he seemed so ignorant of all this someone would surely suspect something.

They got into the car some time later, Regulus taking care to use the 'seat belt' as Petunia had taught him the day before. That particular piece of ignorance had garnered him more strange looks than anything else so far. Regulus found the car quite comfortable, if a much slower method of travel than he was used to. Apparently Vernon worked in the same town where his new school was, so he would be able to drive him in the mornings. He would have to take a bus in the afternoons, which he was determined to learn by heart today when he took it back to his new home with Petunia.

'So, according to your records, your science is Physics and your electives are Humanities and Design and Technology, I assume you want to keep them that way?' asked the principal. He was a middle aged man with combed black hair and glasses, who was quite kind but who Regulus tell could be severe when he wanted to. He looked at the courses, wondering what he was getting into. He had no idea what Physics was, but he didn't know the name of the other 'sciences' either so he might as well keep it. In fact, the only subject name he recognized was English, and he wondered if muggles were still learning how to talk or write. At least he could be good in that subject. He noticed French was one of the electives he wasn't taking. That one was also quite familiar, and it made him much more comfortable than the other subjects.

'Is it possible to drop a class later in the year?' he asked curiously. He wondered if William had similar or different taste from his own regarding academics.

'Yes, of course' the principal told him, looking surprised at the question. Regulus supposed it could not be that common, dropping a class in OWL year.

'Then I would like to add French' he said quickly. He had known the language since he'd been a toddler, and he needed a class where he didn't feel like a fish out of the water. And if that could get him out of another class if they were too confusing or too boring it would be an added bonus. Petunia looked at him in surprise, but didn't comment.

'Ok, everything is set. I expect you here on Monday' the principal told him when they finished the paperwork. Petunia took him to get the school books he was apparently missing and his new uniform, which was similar to what he was wearing but blue, and with a jacket with the school crest. There was also a long thin garment which Petunia called a 'tie'. She put it on him making a very complicated pattern, cooing over how handsome he looked. Regulus vowed to be very careful to take the tie off without untying the knot she had made so he could put it on every time. There was no way he would be able to replicate it properly.

Once he was home he tried to remember his schedule and put the proper materials on his bag. He couldn't help feeling nervous, knowing in four days he would start a school with classes he knew nothing of, but that was almost the last thing on his mind. His brain would not let go of another pressing matter. Would Kreacher find a way to destroy the Horcrux on his own? He hoped he did, but if he didn't, it would be dire. The Dark Lord would live forever, and probably take over Britain. He couldn't afford that scenario now that he was alive. He obviously couldn't get into Grimmauld Place if he couldn't call Kreacher, but he could write to Dumbledore to tip him about the Horcrux. The old headmaster would surely do something, if he wanted his vigilante organization to be of any use when fighting the Dark Lord. He would go to London tomorrow and somehow sneak into Diagon Alley to send him an owl. He wondered if he would be able to even see the Leaky Cauldron. He knew muggles who had been there before could see it, but he didn't know if WIlliam had ever been. Maybe he had gone with Lily at some point to get her supplies, but knowing the teen hated magic, maybe he hadn't. He sighed. He would have to figure it out tomorrow, he mused, trying to think of an excuse to leave Petunia would believe.

 **-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

He got into the train the next morning at the train station in Leatherhead fumbling with the muggle coins, his heart hammering into his chest. He had made some excuse to Petunia and Vernon about exploring the town where his school would be, so Vernon had driven him to the town and left him to go to work. Petunia had vocally expressed her happiness about him being motivated and made him some sandwiches for the day. He didn't correct her.

He got into the train to London, trying not to grind his teeth. The letter burned in his pocket. He hoped Death Eaters wouldn't attack Diagon Alley at the time he was there. He kept reminding himself that he had been prepared to die two weeks ago, but still he didn't want to die now. Even if he was now a muggle and surrounded by strangers, he felt freer than he had ever been. At least now he would be able to choose his future, even if his options weren't what he would have wanted.

He got out of the train forty-five minutes later and wondered what to do. He had lived in London his whole life, but he had never walked anywhere except inside King's Cross before. And it was huge. Was he even close to the Leaky?

'Take the underground to Charing Cross, it's only two stations' the guard told him nicely pointing him in a direction when he asked, and Regulus followed the signs to the underground confusedly, relieved when he realized the 'underground' was just another train, albeit one in which many people travelled standing. A lady helped him get on the correct one and sure enough, the trip only took two more minutes. And suddenly it was right there… the Leaky Cauldron. Regulus almost cried in relief at being able to see it.

He went in cautiously, turning a few heads. Some people eyed his muggle clothes warily. The environment was even more quiet and filled with fear as the last time he had been a few months ago. He asked Tom to open the passage to him feeling extremely uncomfortable. He had never needed to do that before. He went into Gringotts without further ado, exchanging a few pounds, and made his way quickly to Eyelops Emporium to post his letter, treating it as a filibuster firework. When he left he couldn't help a sigh of relief. He hadn't died yet. He hoped Dumbledore followed his tips.


	3. Chapter 3

_I hope you like the new chapter! I changed Regulus new name to William instead of Aster, just in case that causes confusion. I will also update that in the previous 2 chapters._

 **Chapter 3**

 **12 December 1979**

Sirius knocked on the headmaster's office, wondering why the old man had asked to meet him. He saw him often at order meetings, but he had never met him alone since he had sent Snape to the Shrieking Shack in his sixth year.

'Hello Sirius, please have a seat' Dumbledore told him pleasantly and Sirius obeyed him with a feeling of trepidation. 'Lemon drop?' asked the old man. Sirius shook his head, wishing they would get to the point of this meeting. Dumbledore seemed to perceive his sentiment, and sat straighter.

'I received this almost two weeks ago' the old man told Sirius, handing him a note. Sirius' heart caught in his throat. It was his brother's handwriting. His dead brother's handwriting.

 _Dear Headmaster,_

 _If you are receiving this letter it means I am dead. I realized the Dark Lord made a Horcrux (I am sure you know what that is, but in case you do not, it means he will be immortal until the horcrux is destroyed)._

 _I am now going to retrieve the Horcrux. If I don't come out of this mission alive, I will entrust its keeping and the task of destroying it to my house elf Kreacher. I would like you to aid him, as the consequences of not destroying it would be dire._

 _Regulus A. Black_

 _PS: In case it helps the cause against the Dark Lord, you should know that every Death Eater has a black mark of a skull with a serpent escaping from its mouth on their left arm. It is the same sign cast over buildings when they murder someone._

Sirius read, his disbelief and hope and shame all mounting together in an impossible mess. Regulus had been against the Dark Lord in the end. He had died trying to make it possible for him to be killed. And Sirius had been hating him all this time, assuming he was a horrible human being, instead of supporting his brother for finally choosing the right thing.

He looked at the note again, his heart lurching. Seeing the fact that his little brother was dead on his own handwriting was like a punch to his stomach. He had grieved when he had seen the obituary almost a month before, but this, his own brother letting him know that he had died, was like reliving it, all coming more stronger now that he knew his brother had been on his side after all.

'The part about the mark on the arm was true. Crouch did an inspection on all ministry workers after my tip and now seven Death Eaters are in Azkaban for life' Dumbledore told him. Sirius nodded thoughtfully, having read about the inspection and incarceration in the papers. Five of the seven Death Eaters were very young, probably junior ones, but they had caught Jugson and Macnair, which had surely been a blow to Voldemort. He had wondered how Crouch had found out about the mark. He had never imagined it would have been thanks to his little brother. He allowed himself to smile, wondering how Regulus would have felt if he had known that thanks to him two important Death Eaters were now in Azkaban. His smile was wiped instantly when he realized Regulus had never seen the fruits of his efforts. He felt the urge to cry and to punch something at the same time, and he struggled to control himself in front of the headmaster.

'Thank you for letting me know' he told the old man, his voice scratchy.

'You are welcome, but that is not the only reason you are here' Dumbledore told him. 'I need you to call this house elf so we can destroy this item. Voldemort cannot be immortal'.

'But I'm disowned' Sirius asked confused. Surely he could find a way to speak to his house elf, if he could somehow convince his parents that he was coming around to their way of thinking enough to get a dinner invitation to Grimmauld Place, but he doubted it would be as easy as calling him.

'Sirius, if you were truly disowned you wouldn't be able to use your last name. You are the heir of House Black, whether you like it or not, so any house elves of your house are bonded to you' Dumbledore told him. Sirius reeled in shock. He didn't want anything to do with his family, or that wretched elf. To find out they still had a bond was disgusting.

'Kreacher' he called quickly, trying to focus on the fact that he could help with the mission. The house elf appeared, looking murderous, muttering all kinds of horrible things. Sirius looked at it in distaste. He had always been like this with Sirius, his mutterings were nothing new.

'I order you to stay here until you answer all our questions truthfully, and not let anyone else know about this conversation' he commanded. He could see Kreacher turning, looking for a loophole in his orders and looking mutinous when he found none. Wretched creature. He had had to learn since he was young how to give orders to the elf without getting backstabbed.

'Did Regulus Black give you an item belonging to Voldemort and tasked you with destroying it?' asked Dumbledore, looking at the elf much more pleasantly than he deserved. Kreacher's transformation was instantaneous, and he surprised Sirius by bursting into tears.

'Yes. Kreacher hasn't been able to fulfill his master's orders' he sobbed. Sirius looked at him, not knowing if he was more disgusted or surprised. Who knew Kreacher actually had feelings.

'I can destroy it if you bring it to me' Dumbledore told him.

'I order you to bring the item to Albus Dumbledore immediately' Sirius told Kreacher before the elf could refuse. Kreacher, for the first time in his life, didn't look like he had a problem with his order. He was looking at the headmaster with big eyes, undisguised hope reflecting on them. He nodded and disapparated immediately, appearing with a locket before Sirius could say anything else.

'It has Voldemort's signature all over it' Dumbledore studied the locket, mystified and repulsed. Sirius didn't feel anything, but he believed it. He was astounded at Dumbledore's ability to sense magic.

'Thank you Kreacher' Dumbledore said lightly to the house elf 'please stand back'. Sirius watched with wide eyes as the headmaster cast fiendfyre. He had never seen the spell before, and it was rumored to be extremely difficult, but he shouldn't have been surprised Dumbledore could cast it. He had yet to see a piece of magic the headmaster couldn't do. In a few seconds, Dumbledore extinguished the fire, looking more drained than Sirius had ever seen him. The locket was melted in front of him. Sirius hadn't realized the atmosphere had felt more oppressive with it, but with the locket destroyed it felt like something had lifted.

'Master Regulus' last wish is fulfilled' Kreacher said in wonder, looking at the headmaster reverently.

'Let me take down the wards' Dumbledore told them, with some color back into his cheeks 'I prepared them in case I couldn't control the fyendfire' he told Sirius 'it had been many years since I have cast it. It was my last choice, but I have been researching horcruxes and there are very few ways to destroy one. We do not have the other means available'. Sirius nodded, still stunned. If it wasn't for his brother's letter and Dumbledore's magical prowess Voldemort would still be immortal.

'Would you like to keep the remains?' Dumbledore asked Kreacher kindly, giving him the melted locket. Kreacher thanked him profusely, still looking at him reverently.

'Kreacher, I order you to keep everything that happened here and everything related to Voldemort's horcrux a secret from everyone. You will never suggest or let anyone know in any way' Sirius said at Dumbledore's urging. Kreacher agreed, for once not looking contrite at his orders, and he left with the melted remains of the locket, still looking reverently at them. Sirius found the elf's transformation disturbing.

'Thank you for your service today Sirius' Dumbledore told him 'you understand that this has to be kept an absolute secret from everyone' he said gravely 'If Voldemort were to somehow find out that his horcrux is destroyed he would not hesitate to make another'.

'So Voldemort is mortal now' Sirius replied after nodding, still in shock that there could have been a different outcome.

'i believe so' Dumbledore told him 'I will put a spell on you so you cannot discuss this with anyone who doesn't already know'. Sirius nodded. It would be much easier for him not to talk about it if a spell was preventing him from doing it. He had the urge to tell James everything that had happened, as he always did, but he knew how important it was for no one to know. Voldemort had ways to get information out of unwilling people, be it through torture or legilimency. Sirius hoped he himself wouldn't become a liability. His brother had died for this horcrux, and the last thing he wanted was for his sacrifice to have been in vain.

 **oOoOoOoOoO**

Regulus struggled to do the quadratic equations exercise, not knowing quite where to start. One week at his new school had been enough to wipe out all his notions of muggles having inferior minds. All his subjects were a lot more complex than he had expected, and some infinitely more interesting. Math, Physics, and Design and Technology in particular fascinated him, even if he was so far completely lost trying to understand. He had briefly wondered before how muggles built things without magic, but he was astounded at how many things you needed to know to create something that wizards could do with a simple spell. How had he ever thought these people were stupid? They had many of the commodities of the wizarding world, and some that he hadn't known before, all without magic to help them.

'You need to start replacing X with -1 and see what result it gives you' a voice startled him and he found himself looking into the blue eyes of the girl beside him. She had really long sandy brown hair and a thin, beautiful face. It still surprised him that muggles could be beautiful. He had never realized that before.

'Thank you' he whispered, hoping this wasn't such an easy exercise that he looked completely stupid for not knowing how to do it. He glanced around, and was relieved to know that, though most of the students were writing, some looked as lost as he was. 'I'm Will' he told her politely.

'Nice to meet you, I'm Nelly. You are in my Humanities class' she said grinning. He groaned while she laughed quietly. The teacher of humanities had subtly introduced him as the new student by asking him his vision of ethics, and comparing his half assed answer to some philosopher's teachings (which Regulus had learned were people whose job was to think about strange concepts) to make the class laugh.

'Not the best first impression then. I hope I can change that' he told her, smiling, wondering what he was doing flirting with a muggle. He tried to squash his reservations. He had seen that they were people just as intelligent as wizards, so his alarm was probably his prejudices from his life as Black. Still, he couldn't help thinking that his parents would have probably disowned him if they had known. Not even Sirius had dared to talk to a muggle in front of them.

'I thought your answer was coherent' Nelly replied smiling mischievously 'admirable in a situation like that'. He liked her smile, it made him feel something warm in his chest that he hadn't felt in a long time. Since he had been forced to participate in the first of Voldemort's raids and stopped feeling anything but despair.

'I'm dropping the class today' he replied sheepishly, having decided previously that it was not for him. To get a decent grade he would have needed to know too many things about muggle law, history, art and philosophy that he didn't have a clue about, and wasn't really interested in learning. Thank Merlin he had added French so he could drop an elective and still have the minimum two. In French, even if he had to learn the names of all the muggle related things (which were A LOT), the grammar and structure of the language was as familiar to him as walking, so it wouldn't be too difficult. And in Design and Technology he was also quite lost but found it infinitely more interesting than Humanities.

'Oh well, I guess we will only see each other in Math then' she whispered, still smiling 'if you need any help just ask'.

'Do you know how I can get help from someone to study in extra hours?' he asked, suddenly feeling very self-conscious 'my previous school was not so good'. He could feel himself blushing of embarrassment. He had been one of the best in his year at Hogwarts, and had never needed help from a classmate before. But now that he had a future, he had realized he needed to get good results to have more options, in case he realized he was interested in something that required them, and the muggle OWLS were only in 6 months. He didn't know enough to do well by himself.

'Yeah, there is a free tutoring program, you just have to sign up in reception and list the subjects you need help in' she replied smiling 'I'm actually a French tutor'. He was glad she didn't look at him with superiority or pity. In Slytherin he would never have been able to admit that he needed help without someone using it against him. It was refreshing to interact with someone that seemed to want to help him just for the sake of it.

'Cool, if I have any trouble with that I'll ask you for help sometime' he told her cheekily. He would definitely ask for a tutor in Math and Physics later, and in some other subjects he would have to see how they evolved. Even English was difficult, and it was definitely far from what he had thought was just reading and writing properly. Muggles had more fiction literature than he thought he would be able to read in three lifetimes, and more types of texts than he thought existed.

'Sure' Nelly smiled lightly and turned back to her exercises. Regulus watched her tuck a stray hair behind her ear out of the corner of his eye while he tried to decipher his own equation. As difficult and strange as this world was, he was finding it incredibly interesting to live as William Evans. He missed magic, definitely, and he couldn't help stressing over what was going on in the magical world. Would Dumbledore heed his tip or ignore it, thinking it was a trap? Would the Dark Lord be mortal soon or would he eventually take over the muggle world too, as was his ambition? He felt a pang of desperation at the thought of Petunia and her baby being killed, or of seeing Nelly's lifeless eyes, and surprise at the thought that he cared about what happened to muggles he had just met. A year ago he wouldn't have believed it possible.


End file.
